1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote controller and remote control method preferably applicable, for example, to infrared transmission of control signals to a photo-receiver provided to electronic device such as television receivers.
2. Description of Related Art
Remote controllers utilizing infrared wireless transmission of control signals have been used for remotely controlling video device such as television receivers and audio device. In a channel-selection operation of a television receiver or the like using the remote controller, a user selects one of numeral keys provided on the remote controller, and presses it down. By this operation, an infrared remote control signal corresponding to the selected keys is transmitted from the remote controller to the television receiver. In the television receiver, channel positions are preset for corresponding remote control signals. In response to the reception of the remote control signal, the channel, the positions of which correspond to different broadcasting stations, is switched, thereby completing the channel-selection operation.
There is also known a system having an electronic device such as television receiver and AV (audio-visual) amplifier provided with a plurality of input terminals, and external devices such as various recorders, players, tuners and the like connected to the input terminals, so as to allow a single remote controller to remotely control the various device. The remote controller used in such a system allows operating not only the television receiver or the AV amplifier, but also any connected external devices. In switching of the device to be operated, the user starts with an input switching operation on the television receiver side. For example, if a television receiver is provided with four input terminals from a first input terminal to a fourth input terminal, the input terminals are preset to different external devices such that the first input terminal is for a DVD recorder, the second terminal is for video deck and so on. The connected external devices are selected by switching the input of the television receiver. This type of the remote controller has provided thereon operation switch keys for selecting the device to be operated from the connected external devices of the television receiver, DVD (digital versatile disk) recorder, AV amplifier and so forth. After switching the input of the television receiver, the user can operate a desired device by changing modes of the remote controller using the operation switch keys disposed thereon.
For example, if a user, who has been viewing a terrestrial analog broadcasting, wishes to switch the operation to a DVD recorder for replaying of a DVD. The user first switches the input terminal of the television receiver to one through which the DVD recorder is connected. Further, the user operates the switch key of the remote controller to select the DVD recorder. An infrared remote control signal corresponding to the operation of the DVD recorder is then from the remote controller to the television receiver. Accordingly, the user is thus allowed to perform operations of record, play, stop and so forth with the DVD recorder.
Various techniques have been proposed aiming at switching operations for other electronic devices. Examples of the techniques include keeping of a selection mode of a specific electronic device, unconditional recovering of a mode of a specific electronic device, recognizing of operation switching among electronic devices using a slide switch, and identifying of switching operation to any other device and allowing the keys to be operated appropriately with a pre set zoning functionality.
Japanese Patent Application Publication Number 2001-204089 and its FIG. 1 discloses a technique of outputting, from a remote controller, operation codes for peripheral devices connected to a television receiver.